quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
I'm just speculating, but it could be that the reason for the dismissal was an improper search or other impropriety on the part of the police.

That would mean the evidence would be suppressed, and that might mean they couldn't convict. Rather than press a case they know they would lose, they offered Jussie the chance to walk now with a bail forfeiture. Which he would be insane not to take.

They want the file sealed so their blunder won't be discovered. Jussie wants the file sealed so no one knows what the evidence was, and the cops want it sealed so they don't look bad for botching the investigation.

That's my guess.

Sounds like reasonable speculation to me. There are other alternatives, but I'd guess this is the most likely one.

quote:

Originally posted by piqué:
So if the charges were true, what was the motive?

It seems counterintuitive on its face but in a victimhood culture being a victim is status enhancing. Though of course most hate crimes aren’t hoaxes, hate hoaxes are quite common.


It’s akin to being a war hero in an honor culture. People fake that too.

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Wow. this is just flabbergasting to me....

quote:

I'm just speculating, but it could be that the reason for the dismissal was an improper search or other impropriety on the part of the police.

That would mean the evidence would be suppressed, and that might mean they couldn't convict. Rather than press a case they know they would lose, they offered Jussie the chance to walk now with a bail forfeiture. Which he would be insane not to take.

They want the file sealed so their blunder won't be discovered. Jussie wants the file sealed so no one knows what the evidence was, and the cops want it sealed so they don't look bad for botching the investigation.

That's my guess.

Cindy, what you've written immediately above sounds very likely to me!

Let's speculate some more, shall we?

I was trying to think of what mistake the police might have made in the investigation.

And I keep coming back to the personal check. How did the police get that check? They couldn't have gotten it from a search of Jussie's house -- I don't think enough time had passed between when the check was cashed and its discovery by police. And Jussie probably doesn't receive copies of cashed checks in the mail -- it's 2019, not 1980.

Now, the cops could have gotten a warrant for Jussie's bank account and gotten it that way.

Or they could have gone through a back channel to get the check, or misrepresented to the judge why they needed a warrant. Since it's Chicago, I would bet on the back channel.

It must have been egregious, though. If it were a borderline problem, the prosecutors could have dismissed once the key evidence was excluded.

I'm sure it will leak at some point . . .

From the NYT, no problem with evidence or investigation.

quote:

In an interview later, Joe Magats, the prosecutor who made the decision, said that there had been no problems with the evidence or the police investigation into Mr. Smollett. Mr. Magats said he dropped the charges after Mr. Smollett agreed to the community service and to give up the $10,000 he paid for his release, money that would have been returned to him if he had made all his court appearances. He also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that the dropping of the charges “didn’t exonerate him.”

So I guess no one thinks my theory that the state's attorney messed up is plausible?

You can tell me; I can take it.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
I'm just speculating, but it could be that the reason for the dismissal was an improper search or other impropriety on the part of the police.

That would mean the evidence would be suppressed, and that might mean they couldn't convict. Rather than press a case they know they would lose, they offered Jussie the chance to walk now with a bail forfeiture. Which he would be insane not to take.

They want the file sealed so their blunder won't be discovered. Jussie wants the file sealed so no one knows what the evidence was, and the cops want it sealed so they don't look bad for botching the investigation.

That's my guess.

The Chicago police were in front of news cameras 24/7 at first, they'd already convicted him, and the chief hurled judgements to kingdom come--all without a trial. Maybe the prosecution realized it would never be able to find an impartial jury. The police's argument that Smollett did this because he was dissatisfied with his pay is pretty wild.

quote:

Originally posted by jon-nyc:

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:
One thing's for sure, for someone so thoroughly tried in the court of public opinion, he deserves this clearing. Shame on the Chicago police for thinking it was in their power to try him. Shame on them for the constant leaks.

I don’t think most people will view this as a ‘clearing’. Enough of the evidence is out there for all to see.

If this were a true clearing they’d be charging those two Nigerian guys.

And 'most people' don't know squat about what really happened. Nothing but speculation. America, where one is presumed guilty until proven otherwise. What matters is the court cleared his record.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:

quote:

Originally posted by piqué:
So if the charges were true, what was the motive?

Advancing a political agenda; fame; notoriety; sympathy.

That doesn't hold water. He has fame and notoriety and does not appear to need sympathy. Yes, he has a political agenda but I don't think he's so stupid to have committed what he was accused of. The police said they knew he did it because he was unhappy with his salary. Go figure that one out.

You actually think he didn't set this up, Bernard?

I do not believe for one second that the prosecutors just dropped this case out of the goodness of their hearts. That idea is insane.

This would be a career-making prosecution. And frankly, if he really did perpetrate a hoax like this (and still has not admitted it was a hoax), then he would deserve harsh treatment. I can see some mercy had Jussie asked for mercy.

Me, I always quietly doubted his story because of some of the elements that didn't make sense. I still doubt his story. Bernard, what makes you think his story is legit?

But innocent until proven guilty works for me on this one.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
I do not believe for one second that the prosecutors just dropped this case out of the goodness of their hearts. That idea is insane.

This would be a career-making prosecution. And frankly, if he really did perpetrate a hoax like this (and still has not admitted it was a hoax), then he would deserve harsh treatment. I can see some mercy had Jussie asked for mercy.

Me, I always quietly doubted his story because of some of the elements that didn't make sense. I still doubt his story. Bernard, what makes you think his story is legit?

But innocent until proven guilty works for me on this one.

Cindy, I don't necessarily think his story is legit, but I think it's as legit as the version the police have put forward. I do think the possibility he's been framed is real. We just do not know. I don't trust any of the "evidence" the police have presented, because... well, I don't trust them. Their "reason" for the crime borders on ridiculous. And look how badly they behaved in this story. It seems to me the last thing the police ought to do is go in front of cameras and lambast someone who has not yet had a fair trial. They were basically treating him as someone who had just been found guilty in a court of law. That's not right. Something about the whole affair doesn't set right.

quote:

Originally posted by jon-nyc:
You actually think he didn't set this up, Bernard?

I think he did....

My theory is that the prosecutors gave him a deal in order to cover their own asses; nothing to with the goodness of their hearts. Kim Foxx (Cook County state's atttorney) screwed up royally.

quote:

Me, I always quietly doubted his story because of some of the elements that didn't make sense.

Yea, I never understood how guys built like the brothers could only manage a few scratches on his face.

This story about one of the brothers boxing in a Golden Gloves tournament popped up here locally a week or two ago.

quote:

One of the two brothers at the center of the Jussie Smollett scandal headed into the ring for a boxing match in Chicago Thursday night.

The Osundairo brothers have told police that Smollett paid them to help to stage his attack back in January.

Abel Osundairo, 27, arrived at the bout dressed in a robe with the American flag and knocked out his opponent in round one.

His performance in the ring calls into question how Smollet managed to defend himself and fight off his alleged attackers and escape with just the faintest of scratches.

Police say Smollett's facial injuries were not from the siblings but were instead allegedly self-inflicted.

Abel Osundairo competing in a Golden Gloves boxing match....

'He's got a right hand that puts most guys down,' said Sam Colonna, Chicago Golden Gloves Board Member of Abel Osundairo to ABC7 Chicago. 'He's moves, kind of like an Ali type, kind of jabs and moves around very well.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...ng-boxing-match.html

I can dismiss everything the police found, and this thing still smells.

You have a guy claiming he went out in the dead of winter in the dead of night to get a subway sandwich.

He says two white guys beat him up, yelling specifically about this show Entourage, which I had never heard of.

They apparently were looking for any black guy to assault and just happened to run into Jussie.

He keeps the rope around his neck? One issue with rape victims is that they often take a shower because they feel so dirty and traumatized. Not Jussie -- he leaves the rope around his neck.

That's all a problem.

What does make sense to me is that he would mail a crank threat letter to himself and, having had a taste of the sympathy and attention that comes with hoax-victim status, decided to take it up a notch.

So, no. I still think he faked it, assumed no one would check on it, and knew it would make him a darling of activists. That was his motive.

quote:

Originally posted by well-tempered gardener:
My theory is that the prosecutors gave him a deal in order to cover their own asses; nothing to with the goodness of their hearts. Kim Foxx (Cook County state's atttorney) screwed up royally.

quote:

Me, I always quietly doubted his story because of some of the elements that didn't make sense.

Yea, I never understood how guys built like the brothers could only manage a few scratches on his face.

This story about one of the brothers boxing in a Golden Gloves tournament popped up here locally a week or two ago.

quote:

One of the two brothers at the center of the Jussie Smollett scandal headed into the ring for a boxing match in Chicago Thursday night.

The Osundairo brothers have told police that Smollett paid them to help to stage his attack back in January.

Abel Osundairo, 27, arrived at the bout dressed in a robe with the American flag and knocked out his opponent in round one.

His performance in the ring calls into question how Smollet managed to defend himself and fight off his alleged attackers and escape with just the faintest of scratches.

Police say Smollett's facial injuries were not from the siblings but were instead allegedly self-inflicted.

Abel Osundairo competing in a Golden Gloves boxing match....

'He's got a right hand that puts most guys down,' said Sam Colonna, Chicago Golden Gloves Board Member of Abel Osundairo to ABC7 Chicago. 'He's moves, kind of like an Ali type, kind of jabs and moves around very well.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...ng-boxing-match.html

Well . . . no one was supposed to ever find out that these guys were part of the hoax.

And if he hired them to rough him up, of course they would take it easy.

So his size and boxing prowess are rather beside the point.

What I can't figure out is why those guys aren't selling their story right now. Maybe they are . . . .

People doing this kind of sh!t can lose the Democrats an awful lot of votes in 2020...